Winner Take All
by Kryssa's flute
Summary: We all know who the sexiest member of the Stella Quintet is... right? When Kahoko is forced to make a decision about the one she likes best, there's only one person who can help her and it's not who anyone expected.


Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'Oro. Yuki Kure does. I simply own the original idea and anything non-canonical.

Author's Notes: I considered ranking this story 'M' for an ongoing rush of sexual innuendos, but because there's no sex or any sexual endeavors blatantly mentioned, I went with giving this a 'T' rating. But for anyone who feels they might be a bit too sensitive for this, please take heed of this slight warning.

* * *

Winner Take All

Kanazawa had no idea how he managed to get sucked into this mess, just that he had and he was pretty certain Ousaki was to blame because the redhead had a slightly twisted sense of humor hidden under that 'Nice Guy' act.

"So tell me, again, how this got started," he said, leaning towards Amou, "because I think I'm the wrong person to help answer this question."

Amou gave him a sneaky smile and indiscreetly pointed at Hino, sitting two rows ahead and raptly listening to Shimizu's cello. "You know how all the guys have a hard-on for Kaho-chan, right?" she whispered.

"Yeah." It wasn't a secret – except, perhaps, to Hino herself – and he wondered how she managed to stay oblivious for the past four years to the Quintet's blatant interests. "So?"

"So I was having a 'private' conversation with Kaho-chan, and I asked her which instrument she thought was the sexiest."

"Implying which, er, _musician_ she preferred."

"And _somehow_ the five heard about this discussion, and began offering their suggestions," she said, smiling in a way that made demons look like angels. Amou had only gotten more cunning with age, and it was a little unnerving how easily she could manipulate her friends. Even Yunoki and Tsukimori were here, a miraculous feat of string-pulling in and of itself.

Though the concept of winning Hino over would serve as very useful bait to any of them, he imagined. "And why am I here?"

"Well, we needed to use a theater, and this was the only one I could think of. And since you're the one who takes care of it, you were a perfect choice to help me and Kaho-chan."

"What about Ousaki? He helps here, too, you know."

"Yeah, but he said that your perspective would be a lot more mature than his."

Kanazawa mentally promised to inflict a sugar-high Hihara on the violist at the next chance possible.

The last note of Shimizu's song hung in the air, and Hino vigorously clapped for the blonde. His companions, however, didn't look quite as moved. They had performed already, and were nearly twitchy with impatience for Hino's answer.

"So which one do you like best, Kaho-chan?" Hihara finally burst out.

"I don't know," Hino said, standing up and shaking her head. "I mean, I really loved all your pieces. Each one was sexy in its own way, and so moving and breathtaking. I loved them all."

Kanazawa rolled his eyes as Amou let out a sigh. He could almost understand why she had decided to be so interfering; the boys needed all the help they could get.

"No, Kaho-chan, you're supposed to come up with a decision," Amou said firmly. "And no one's feelings are going to be hurt, right?"

"Right!"

"Of course."

"A straightforward answer would please us, regardless of the choice."

Kanazawa mentally snorted; they couldn't lie to save their instruments.

"What's your opinion?" Hino asked Amou, nearly begging for help. "Which one do you like? You too, Kanazawa-sensei."

He held his hands up in an 'I'm not touching this subject' move, and gestured for Amou to speak first.

Which was a mistake, because the photographer loved to stir up shit just to swirl the colors. She grinned and said, "See, I agree with Kaho-chan. All the music was absolutely wonderful, but the thing that really gets me is the implication behind playing."

At everyone's confused looks, she said, "For instance, the cello. It's got some very feminine curves to it, so seeing one between Shimizu-kun's legs was… inspiring. Makes me wonder what else cellists can do."

Hino let out a little, "Oh!", as if she received a pleasant shock.

"I win?" the angelic blonde asked, smiling faintly.

"Hardly," Tsukimori said coolly. "The violin shares the same shape, carrying over the implications."

"But you don't put it between your legs," Shimizu lightly retorted.

"No, we just put it near our mouths," Hino said, then slapped a hand across her lips.

"So _I_ win," Tsukimori said.

"No," Amou said, "unless there's something special about violins that we should know about."

"This won't help anyone but the two string players," Kanazawa jumped in, deciding to add a little fuel to the fire, "but if you're looking for other revealing facts, I can tell you they play with the G-string near the F-hole."

He never knew Tsukimori could blush like that. Frankly, he'd never seen the rest of the boys turn such fascinating colors, either.

"Ah, but a flautist can offer more to a lady," Yunoki said, the only unflustered performer. He met Hino's eyes as he purred, "Would you like me to show you my tonguing and fingering talents, Kahoko?"

Amou let out a little whoop of excitement. Hino's mouth nearly hit the floor. Kanazawa smirked; Cultured Rich Boy knew more than he wasn't letting on. But by now, the others were throwing in their own phrases, surprising the audience with their creativity.

"A violinist's fingering technique is flawless!"

"Well, a pianist is second to none when it comes to stroking the right keys!"

"But nobody can blow better than a trumpet player!"

"Everyone knows that flautists are masters of the flutter-tongue."

"… Cellists do it low and deep."

Kanazawa looked at Hino, who had graduated from turning multiple shades of red to actually absorbing the words. Each phrase would inspire a different expression, from reflection to amusement to (and he raised an eyebrow to see _this_) desire. Yet the five were too busy arguing with each other to see how dreamy Hino suddenly looked.

_Someone's not as innocent as she pretends, either. Oh god, don't tell me that she's just as hard for them, and the morons don't even know it._

And suddenly, an evil thought buried itself in his mind.

He thought about it for a few minutes, listening to the bickering interspersed with a little bit of music-making, before becoming firm in his decision. Hino wasn't a student of his anymore, and he wasn't going to take the act anywhere indecent, but if done right he would be the little bit of encouragement that pushed the boys off their asses and into action.

So he stood up and said, "You're all wrong."

Silence in the hall as everyone turned in his direction.

"Excuse me?" Tsuchiura asked, trying vainly to contain his annoyance.

"You're all wrong. None of these instruments qualify as the sexiest," he said, sauntering in the direction of the stage, hands casually in his pockets. "Not that they're not sexy in their own way, but I'm just saying they won't win any awards."

Hihara's mouth was a thin line of frustration. "You've got a better suggestion, Kanayan?"

"Sensei doesn't play an instrument," Shimizu noted solemnly. "He can't help here."

"It is not going to be the guitar or percussion or anything that has become debased through contemporary music, is it?" Tsukimori asked, distaste radiating from each word.

Kanazawa groaned in mock pain as he climbed the stairs, joining the boys in the muted spotlight. "Have a little more faith in your old teacher than that! No, the instrument I believe to be the sexiest is something that both Hino and Amou will undoubtedly agree with me upon."

He waved a hand to the girls, beckoning them to accompany him onstage. Amou stayed in place, replacing the film in her camera while she shooed Hino on. The redhead slowly added to their numbers, wearing an expression of definite bemusement.

"Er, what instrument do you choose, Kanazawa-sensei?" she asked as they stood facing each other.

"Yes, enlighten us," Yunoki said, a slightly mocking tone in his voice.

It had been four years since he quit smoking, and three years since he began retraining himself. His range would never be what it was before, and his voice now had a husky quality to it that he wasn't sure he cared for, but he still had years of experience and practice beyond the five. He was a force to be reckoned with.

_This is going to be so much fun._

He looked Hino in the eyes and sang.

It was one of his favorite pieces; a little Italian song that he frequently dedicated to _her_ when they were together. After they had gone their separate ways, he stopped singing it because it hurt too damn much to hear. Yet when he went back to the music, he realized how much he had missed its presence. It reminded him of what love could be, and he thought it appropriate to share this bit of youthful romance with Hino.

The beginning was gentle, starting low and soft like a whisper from a lover, and he barely got thirty seconds into the song when Hino's expression changed from confused to surprised to enraptured. He slowly circled around her, and she turned with him as if they were connected heart-to-heart. His voice did not waver, did not miss a single note, did not fall off-key as he stepped closer to her.

When he reached the first refrain, his tenor filling the stage with effortless ease, he reached his hand out to her – and she took it without hesitation. He leisurely lifted it and, when he took a breath at one point, brushed his lips against the skin of a knuckle, never skipping a beat of the song and never breaking their gaze. The sight of her pupils dilating gave him extra encouragement, and he drew her closer until she was pressed against him. The moment was so sensual, so intimate that Hino inhaled sharply and instinctively wrapped her other arm around his shoulders.

He decided against singing the whole piece and immediately slid right into the final refrain. This time, his voice soared through the theater as he slid his hand to the small of her back. He began carefully lowering her, dipping her down until she was almost perfectly parallel to the floor and resting within his embrace. He appreciated the way her breathing sped up, evidenced by the slightly faster rise-fall of her chest, and it only encouraged him. Reaching the climax of the song, he held out the last word with almost inhuman power and precision. It started out _forte_ and he slowly drew down into a _pianissimo_; Hino didn't even notice when he stopped singing and started kissing her.

Or at least, that's what it looked like from a distance. He simply brought his lips near the side of her neck and gently blew against her ear. She shivered, and he almost wished he was ten years younger and really intending to give the Quintet a run for their money. As it was, he brushed his stubbly cheek against her smooth one before drawing her back up and carefully releasing the weak-kneed girl.

He gave her a sweeping bow of gratitude, playing it out. "Thank you, Hino-sama, for gracing me with your beauty this fine afternoon. My song cannot do justice to your loveliness, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless."

Then he winked at Amou, whose jaw was nearly touching the ground and whose camera lay forgotten in her hands, and said, "A man's voice, and the things he says and does, will always be the sexiest, most intimate instrument in the world."

Amou blinked a few times before mumbling, "I need a drink. Or a cigarette. Maybe both," and went running from the room.

"What the hell was that?!" Hihara shouted, perhaps the angriest that Kanazawa had ever seen him. In fact, all five of the boys were flushed and upset, even Shimizu. "You just… just…."

"Proved my point."

"Molested a former student!" Tsuchiura snarled.

"No, I didn't. There was no inappropriate touching going on here, nothing that you wouldn't see in an opera."

"This is _not_ an opera, and your voice is _not_ an instrument!" Tsukimori argued.

"Sure it is. Vocal cords vibrate thanks to air flow and pressure – mixture of a woodwind and stringed instrument."

"It doesn't count!" five voices yelled.

He turned to the violinist in question, bringing her back into the conversation. "What do you think, Hino? Do I win?"

She had been touching her ear, her cheek, her lips with a quiet reverence, and after a few moments' reflection said, "Do it again," in a breathy bedroom voice.

Triumph almost made him gloat, but he decided to aim for maturity for once. "And what she says goes. Ah, it's getting late! You kids better head home. I'm tired of sitting around here all day listening to you argue," Kanazawa sighed dramatically, falling back into the usual lazy persona.

Since Hino had made her choice, the five (reluctantly) accepted her decision. They quickly cleared out, still mumbling under their voices and brooding like teenagers, and the girls were the last to depart.

Kanazawa gave Hino a little head-bow. "I'm sorry if I did anything you deemed inappropriate," he said. "It was simply done to prove a point."

"No, no, it's all right," she said, still a little pink. "It was very flattering, I admit. No one's ever paid that kind of attention to me before."

"Then maybe the idiots will realize that someone might steal you away unless they start thinking more of you and less of themselves."

Amou laughed and Hino gave him a tiny smile as they walked off towards the train.

The following weekend, Kanazawa had a visitor.

With his face flaming red, Hihara told him about taking a page from the old man's book and learning a short song for Hino. He had little formal training but she was so delighted by his effort, and his reason for attempting in the first place, that she did things with him until her eyes – and his – were glazed over.

Kanazawa simply chuckled and offered more songs for the trumpeter to try.

* * *

Author's Notes (10/8/07): I apologize for any out-of-character-ness that may have come from putting the Stella Quintet in this situation. I'm making allowances for the fact that they're older and a little more comfortable with one another and Hino... and for the fact that this story is a comedy.

I didn't intend to make this a specific pairing fic, but I thought that, of all the Stella boys, Hihara would be the one to actually try something totally new and put his pride on the line for Hino. He's so un-self-conscious that he'd take the idea and run with it. Plus, I just love the idea of him going to Kanazawa for help.

My inspiration for Kanazawa's song was Andrea Bocelli's _Con te Partiro_, in case anyone is interested.


End file.
